Kenny Jackett keen to build new era

3 May 2014

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Kenny Jackett paid tribute to his history making players after the champions ended the season with a record points tally for League 1 following a victory that relegated Carlisle.

The 3-0 win saw Wanderers reach 103 points - beating the previous best of 101 that was set by Charlton during the 2011-12 campaign.

First-half goals from skipper Sam Ricketts and Michael Jacobs and a 57th-minute strike from Nouha Dicko earned a comfortable success, and Jackett said: "It tops off a great season.

"We are delighted to get the record of 103 points - which is some achievement in the third tier of English football.

"We have won 17 of the last 21 games when you really do need it at the business end of the season. So that is a fantastic achievement and credit to the players. They are the ones who have done that in a difficult time, if you like coming out of last year.

"This is the best day and best season of my career and I am optimistic about the future. Now what we want to do is try and build on this season and it be the the first good season of a good era for the club.

"If we can go into the Championship, not underestimating the size of the the task, but also very confident then we can build on this season - which has been excellent. Hopefully this is a stepping stone to where we want to be.

"We should have confidence going forward and try to build on what has been an excellent first season for us.

"For us now, we can take this momentum into next season and build on this so instead of it just being an excellent season, which it has been, hopefully we can start a good era and write our own little piece of history in the chapter of a fantastic club."

Ricketts gave Wolves the lead after just five minutes when he latched on to a cross-field ball from Bakary Sako and beat goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at his near post with a low drive.

Jacobs added a second goal in the 24th minute when he headed home a Scott Golbourne centre before Dicko rammed home the rebound after Pickford had saved from Golbourne.

In sharp contrast to Wolves, Carlisle headed out of the division in the opposite direction after a nightmare run of just one win in their final 15 games.

Blues boss Graham Kavanagh still has a year left on the contract that he signed when he succeeded Greg Abbott last September and he is determined to turnaround the club's

fortunes next season.

He plans an overhaul of the squad, and said: "I am going to look at the signings I need to make and I am not going to put numbers on it because I don't know yet what is available in terms of budget.

"I have an idea of what I want to improve but I haven't told the players yet in regard to who's staying and who's going. So until I do that I am not going to divulge too much information. But there will be changes.

"I felt all the way through that that this squad wasn't good enough when I initially got the job.

"Then when I took over I thought I was working miracles and I thought the new ideas that we implemented were very much coming to fruition and we were a better team.

"That was the case for long periods. I wouldn't say that we played brilliant in all the games but we had a platform and structure that we played to and people were prepared to listen and do the work that was needed.

"Once we started to get injuries and one or two of the leaders and characters came out of the group they couldn't cope and that was very much evident today in the way that we conceded ground.

"We have played against a very, very good Wolves team and I want to give them credit because Kenny (Jackett) has assembled a very good side with a big squad but you have to produce - and fair play he has.

"I knew it would be a difficult game regardless of where we are in the table. But some of the decisions we made and the fear we played with - the lack of confidence and belief. There wasn't anyone prepared to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

"The players need to understand what it means to play for the club and what is expected of them. The fans expect us to work hard and put your body on the line.

"I think that any professional footballer should be prepared to do that. If not, they are going to find themselves on the scrapheap - as some of them may find this season.

"They have had their opportunities and not taken them. I have said to one of two of them there, including the lads who will be with us here next season, I am expecting more and demanding more and if you are not going to give it you are not going to play."